Chapter 19 Keane
NINETEEN
KEANE
Istood in the kitchen, glaring at a barrel of fresh apples, each of them an example of glossy red perfection. “And where did these come from?”
A young kitchen maid bobbed an awkward courtesy in front of me, a sheen of sweat on her forehead from the enormous fire that blazed away constantly at the end of the room. “If you please, Captain, they’re from the apple tree in the yard.”
“Throw them out.” I issued the command tersely then immediately regretted it when she cowered away from me. Making an effort to soften my tone, I continued. “That is, we can’t guarantee the safety of any of the apples already in the kitchen, so please dispose of them immediately.”
She nodded. “Yes, sir.”
I turned to the guards standing by the door as they approached to pick up the barrel. “Have the maid show you where to put these. Nothing should eat them.”
The cook responsible for trying to poison Lily had already been identified, but I couldn’t take the risk that she’d left other poisoned food for use by the others.
The bitter herb she’d used had created residue all over her working area and tools, and the entire kitchen staff was cleaning intensively to eradicate all trace of the poison.
They seemed to understand the grave danger of word getting out that a visiting dignitary from Andaria had been poisoned while in the company of our future queen.
No one here wanted to be the reason for a new war with another kingdom.
Satisfied everything was in hand, I left two guards to supervise and walked back to the main rooms of the castle to inform Lily of the progress I’d made.
Despite the decaying grandeur of the summer palace and the ever-present mirrors, I quite liked it.
It had a little of an underdog sense about it, as if it could quickly reclaim its former glory if only the right person championed it.
While Grimelda was well meaning, I wasn’t sure she was the right person.
However, now that Lily had visited, I suspected things would change for the better.
“Captain Keane?” The call of one of my guard’s caught my attention as Caspar’s hurried footsteps hit the stone floor with increasing tempo. He handed me two letters, both sealed with wax. “These have arrived from Winton Castle.”
One was addressed to Lily, and appeared to be in Violet’s handwriting, which made sense. Camellia was probably out in the gardens ensuring my men maintained their training regimes, leaving Jasmine and Violet to any letter writing duties. The other was addressed to me.
“Thank you.” I dismissed the guard back to his post before I ripped open the wax seal on my letter and skimmed the contents. I didn’t even finish before I took off, running up the stairs to the small living room where I’d left Lily and Rose.
When I arrived, the door stood open, but only Lily remained inside. I dismissed the guard in the corridor and entered the room. Lily was standing by the fire, staring into it with her hand raised oddly, as if drawing a rune in the air.
Lily spun around with a frown. “Is everything all right, Keane?”
There was no good way to answer that. I held out her letter. “This arrived from Winton Castle just now.”
She tore impatiently through the wax seal. “It’s Violet’s handwriting.”
I watched her eyes moving as she read the contents. “I got a letter, too.” I kept my voice gentle. “It had news about Malren.”
Lily finished reading and her gaze met mine. “He’s escaped!”
“But your sisters are all well.” Frustration filtered through me at the way Malren had slipped through our fingers, and my pride pricked at the idea the man had been able to escape from our most secure jail cell.
She looked at her letter again. “It says here he used ‘magical means.’”
I grimaced. “It would seem so. That either means he’s more powerful than we suspected, or he has the help of someone very powerful indeed.”
Lily tapped her fingers against her lips. “Malren doesn’t have any fae blood. He must be getting help from someone else. Someone like Queen Riala perhaps.”
“None of my men have found any evidence she has returned. All we have is Lord Malren’s word, which isn’t worth much.”
“I’m worried about my sisters.” Her words were raw and genuine.
“I know.” The desire to be in both places divided me. “But they have the best protection where they are. My men are there, and don’t forget Dahlia and Garon. I’m sure Garon is already investigating this and utilizing his entire spy network to do so.”
“Malren escaped at the same time Lord Vasso was poisoned by a dish destined for my mouth. Do you believe this is a coincidence?” Her last word shook a little, and I stepped forward with my arm out, ready to support her should she need it.
“I don’t believe it’s a coincidence, no.” I almost whispered the words, caught between wanting to protect her and the need to be honest. “The attacks against you are going to continue.”
Her eyes grew darker, but she blinked, appearing to push any fear away, and she stood straighter. “I see, then I do need to prepare. And practice harder.”
“Your fae magic could be invaluable.” I needed to support her learning if it could save her life.
“What do we do?” She reached toward me, her hand landing on my forearm, and the touch sent electricity skittering up my arm and through my body.
In that moment, I saw only Lily, the woman I loved, and I wrapped my other arm around her waist, drawing her closer. “I’ll always protect you.”
“I know you will. I trust you above any other man in all the six kingdoms.”
Her words made my chest swell, as my gaze landed on her perfect ruby red lips. She parted them on slight inhale, a gasp of awareness, and my control was lost. My mouth pressed against hers, savoring her soft skin and the way she responded to me, allowing my lips to claim hers as mine.
As the kiss ended, my thoughts cleared, and I stepped back, the movement abrupt. I’d ignored all of the boundaries imposed by my position and my self-control, and horror trickled through me, replacing the satisfaction of Lily in my arms, her warm body pressed against mine.
She could have me arrested for treason. I was guilty of that momentary loss of control and so much more. But Sun and Moon, how I wanted her.
Lily stumbled in my direction a little, but I held her up, supporting her to maintain her distance. “What…”
“We can’t do that again,” I interrupted as I glanced past her and swallowed.
“But…why?” Her confusion continued, and she bit her lip before her tongue flickered out quickly, like she was tasting her lips.
I resisted the urge to do the same. My resolve teetered on a knife-edge, but before it could falter, I interrupted her a second time. “That was a mistake. The future Queen of Talador doesn’t kiss her Captain of the Guard.”
Her eyes narrowed in response. “I believe you were the one who kissed me. Though I did not stop you.”
“You have seven suitors here to choose from,” I reminded her, even though my chest constricted, and I had to force the words out. “They are your choices for a royal marriage.”
Hurt flashed across her features, quickly replaced by a regal expression Lily rarely used with me.
It hurt me to see that level of disconnect, especially as she had just been soft and pliant in my arms, like she could love me back if I let her.
But I was fooling myself. To imagine Lily would ever feel for me the way I felt for her would only result in further pain.
“If I hear further news from Winton Castle, I’ll let you know.
” I added a smart salute at the end of my sentence, further cementing the difference in our positions, and left the room before she could answer me.
I didn’t even want to hear her voice in case it made me change my mind and caused me to rush back to her.
Luckily, the clatter of my boots on the stone steps as I made my wild escape drowned out the frantic beat of my heart and anything she might have said.
Yet nothing could make me forget the feel of her lips on mine. I’d cherish that memory for the rest of my life, even as she wedded and bedded another man. My throat tightened at the thought. We would never be together, and I had to remember that.